I held in my frown, knowing she was referring to Cody. Why did I relate so much with Cody? I wasn’t a carefree, blow with the wind, kind of person. I liked structure and very few bumps in the road. My personality was perfect for a long term relationship, which is basically what Mack and I had, minus our peers knowing.
“Do you want kids?” Mindy asked after opening the door to leave the mall. “You seem like the type that would love being a mom.”A smile slipped across my lips. “I always imagined myself with kids. Someday it’ll happen.”Mindy sighed dramatically. “Just waiting for our Prince Charming’s to sweep us off our feet.” She wiggled her eyes at me when we reached her car. “Well, my Prince Charming will spread my legs before he sweeps me off my feet.”I nearly snorted at her admission, then a vision of Mack holding me in his arms flooded my brain. Was he my Prince Charming? He was tMackThree weeks had gone by, and Christmas was five days away. I might as well have been the Grinch, because I was cranky and frustrated every day with the absence of Kelsey. I wanted her desperately, but at the same time, I was sick of the games. I had only put my heart out there for one woman, and she wasn’t willing to meet me halfway. Hell, she hadn’t even bothered to reach out to me and compromise.Okay, so we had discussed what our relationship was, but we needed to redraft the stipulations. I was sick of throwing my heart out there for her to stomp on and disregard.My phone rang, and it was my mother. Seeing her spend time with Gary while he and Portia were in a funk was unsettling, and a whole other can of worms I wasn’t ready to open.“Hey, mom. Everything alright?”“I’d be better if every time I called, you didn’t assume something tragic has happened to me.”I smiled. “Sorry.
KelseyMy stomach had been in knots ever since he left me in the stairwell three weeks ago. I’d contemplated what had happened and the words that were said between us, and I couldn’t bring myself to let go of my pride and apologize for getting so upset. I understood why he’d flown off the handle, I really did, but I was still afraid of the label that would be stamped on my back if the world found out I was exclusive with Mackenzie Craft, the owner of the company.By his lack of attempts to make amends, I figured he was doing just fine without me, even though I was miserable on the inside.“I brought coffee!” Mindy greeted. “No bagels today. I finally got that red dress to zip last night, you know, the one I bought for the Christmas party?”I gave her a smile, but my lip wouldn’t stop from quivering. I’d been dreading this evening for the past week. I wasn’t in the mood to get dressed up and
KelseyEven though I left the office early, the most staff had vanished before I got the chance, all eager for the party. I hit my couch the second I got home, crashing until Mindy pounded on my door.She flew in with multiple dresses and a bag full of makeup, prepared to do magical work. I would have been perfectly fine to stay under the fuzzy fleece blanket for the rest of the night, completely skipping the party, but I wanted to see Mack, and I didn’t have any more excuses to keep myself from reaching out to him. Besides being miserable, I knew I was in the wrong with how I’d been acting. He had every reason to be upset with me, and I was ready to be on the same page as him when it came to our relationship.Instead of sending him a text to ask if he was going to be there, I dressed according to Mindy’s approval, knowing he’d be more than pleased. That was, if he was still interested in me. I’d be devastated if he weren&rs
Her head craned in the other direction, the rest of her body dashing out of the main room and into the hallway. I picked up my pace, dodging chairs and employees, giving nods for greetings, but sure to lose sight of Kesley. Once I got through the pile of people, I checked both ways down the hallway, catching a glimmer of her dress sneak into a room.Ignoring that it was a powder room labeled women only, I opened the door, worried she might have fallen sick again. She had missed a lot of work recently, and by her slender figure and peaked coloring, losing her stomach could be the reason for her quick departure. That or she was avoiding me.“Kelsey?” I asked, cautiously opening the door. I let out a breath of relief when she was the only one in the cozy room. She wasn’t facing me, but leaning on the countertop in front of a mirror, girly products in a woven basket on the end. “Are you alright?”Her eyes darted to mine through the mirr
My jaw hung open, and I was replaying what she said over and over. Did I really hear that right?“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” she said under her breath, storming to the door.I was still locked in place, unable to move my feet.Pregnant? How? We were always so careful. She was on the pill, and if she felt unsure, she’d give me a condom, even offered to roll those suckers on for me. In fact, I assumed she preferred for us to use them more so than not. I would never say no if she felt more comfortable with me wearing one, even if I preferred skin on skin.Like we were in my office the last time we were together.Or at the Christmas Wishes event for the Children’s Hospital in the janitor’s closet, but that was her idea. She attacked me. Like I would turn down a sexy romp with her.I guess it only takes one time, and apparently, her birth control had faltered.By the time I lifted my head fr
Warmth spread through me when she said those two words, and a giddy grin spread across my lips.She laughed and gently squeezed my bicep. “Sounds like you need to talk to him and tell him how you feel. Get over your pride and not worry about what others think. As for worrying about him being bored of you, that’s always a fear. If you trust him and invest in the relationship, he won’t get bored.”My smile faded. “I think he might be over me, or I might have just jumped a thousand steps ahead of what he’s ready for.”She knitted her brows. “I don’t understand.”Letting out a long breath, I confided in the stranger. “I just found out I’m pregnant.”Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “Really? His baby?”“Yes,” I sighed. “It’s his.”She took a sharp breath, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, of course, it’
I headed for the parking lot, both hands in my pockets, feeling defeated.Then I saw her from behind, standing by the curb rubbing her shoulders for warmth. She wasn’t wearing anything but the sleeveless dress, and I wanted to scold her for being careless, but instead, I shrugged out of my jacket and cautiously walked toward her. My heart raced with each step, feeling completely blind on how this was going to go. I only hoped it wouldn’t end in tears or shouting, and I convinced myself to play nice, no matter how defensive I might become.When I set my jacket over her shoulders, she jumped from the contact.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”She held her hand to her chest, her beautiful emerald eyes taking me in as I stood by her. The skin around her eyes were puffy as if she’d been crying, and it tore at my heart. I wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but that would only agitate her more.“Headed hom
I scrunched my brows, searching the tree. It was covered in different types of USB drives. Some with vibrant colors, some as food items or cartoon characters. I grinned and shook my head.“Did you know, how a man treats his mother is how he’s expected to treat his future wife?” A small voice spoke.My eyes darted around the tree, and my heart pounded when Kelsey tiptoed from the back of it. She was standing in a long puffy coat, a hat covering her straightened blonde hair. Her cheeks were red from the cold, but her smile, although weary and apprehensive, was filled with warmth.My lip twitched upward, unable to stop itself from stretching into a full-blown smile. “Hi. What are you doing here?”She shrugged, taking a step so she was directly in front of me. Her citrus scent filled my nostrils from the proximity, and I took a long blink, inhaling the smell as if I would become intoxicated.“I didn’t want to go to